Archive for September 6th, 2012

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is warning businesses to beware of a scam targeting Illinois corporations.

A firm called Corporate Records Service is contacting Illinois businesses in an attempt to collect a $125 fee to fill out a corporationâ€™s â€œAnnual Minutes Records Form.â€Â The Illinois Business Corporation Act does not require corporations to file a â€œMinutes Records Formâ€ or pay such a fee with the state or any private entity.Â

â€œThe problem is that the form this bogus firm is sending out looks similar to our Secretary of Stateâ€™s annual report form,â€ White said.Â â€œWe are concerned that companies are filing the form and paying the $125 because they believe they are filing their annual report with us, as required by law.â€

Although the bogus notice states that the fee must be paid by September 21, 2012, there is no fee due to the state for that purpose.Â The only fee that corporations must pay is the fee that is paid with their annual report.Â Illinois corporations should be on the alert for this and other similar attempts to defraud them.

The Secretary of State police and Illinois Attorney Generalâ€™s Office are investigating this deceptive business practice.

White is recommending that corporations do not reply to the solicitation.Â

If a business has questions or wants to report that they have been a victim of the scam, please contact the Secretary of Stateâ€™s Office at 312-814-2201.

SPRINGFIELD, IL â€” The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced the availability of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).Â The CACFP is a federally funded program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is administered by ISBE.Â

The program is designed to primarily assist child care centers, Head Start programs, before- and after-school programs, emergency shelters, and day care home providers with funding to provide nutritious meals to children in their care.Â All participating child care centers and day care homes must provide meals to enrolled children at no additional charge and without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Â Income Eligibility Guidelines

Effective from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013

Â

Â

Â

Free Meals

130% Federal Poverty Guideline

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Reduced-Price Meals

185% Federal Poverty Guideline

Household

Size

Annual

Monthly

Twice Per

Month

Every Two

Weeks

Weekly

Household

Size

Annual

Monthly

Twice Per

Month

Every Two

Weeks

Weekly

1

14,521

1,211

606

559

280

1

20,665

1,723

862

795

398

2

19,669

1,640

820

757

379

2

27,991

2,333

1,167

1,077

539

3

24,817

2,069

1,035

955

478

3

35,317

2,944

1,472

1,359

680

4

29,965

2,498

1,249

1,153

577

4

42,643

3,554

1,777

1,641

821

5

35,113

2,927

1,464

1,351

676

5

49,969

4,165

2,083

1,922

961

6

40,261

3,356

1,678

1,549

775

6

57,295

4,775

2,388

2,204

1,102

7

45,409

3,785

1,893

1,747

874

7

64,621

5,386

2,693

2,486

1,243

8

50,557

4,214

2,107

1,945

973

8

71,947

5,996

2,998

2,768

1,384

For each additional family member, add

5,148

429

215

198

99

For each additional family member, add

7,326

611

306

282

141

Individuals in households that receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are automatically eligible to receive free meal benefits.Â Children enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start programs, or foster care children that are legal responsibilities of the State or court, are also allowed to receive free meal benefits at approved Head Start facilities.Â Parents or guardians should contact their child care center or day care home provider to find out if they participate in this program.Â A list of participating Illinois institutions is available on the ISBE Nutrition Programs Interactive Map at http://webprod1.isbe.net/NutSvc/.Â

The USDA Household Income Eligibility Guidelines are listed for families who do not receive TANF or SNAP benefits.Â If a householdâ€™s income falls within or below the listed guidelines, they should contact their child care center or day care home provider for the benefits of the program. They may be required to complete an application and provide income, TANF, or SNAP information.

Â In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). Â USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Guidelines and application materials are now available online for the Illinois Arts Council’s Ethnic & Folk Arts Master Apprentice Program. Suspended in 2009 as the result of state budget cuts, the IAC was able to reinstate the Master Apprentice Program in FY2012 with the aid of funding received from the National Endowment for the Arts Folk Arts Infrastructure grant program. Â Six Master Apprentice grants were awarded in June.Â Aided by a continuation in funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the IAC is pleased to announce the application deadline for Master Apprentice Program for fiscal year 2013.Â

The Illinois Arts Council and the Master Apprentice Program recognize the vital role of the master artist/apprentice relationship in the preservation of the state’s cultural heritage. The IAC’s Master Apprentice Program helps communities preserve their own culture by providing an opportunity for master traditional artists to pass on their skills to a qualified apprentice in a time-honored method. Past awards have supported traditional or ethnic art forms as diverse as East Indian dance, split wood baskets, Chinese drum and bell music, fish net making, Ukrainian pysanky, and Illinois fiddle traditions.

Master artists are recognized within their communities as exemplary practitioners of their traditional or ethnic art forms. Apprentices applying to this program should have prior experience in the art form. The Master Apprentice award is a fixed amount of $3,000, and is awarded to the master artist.

“Illinois is exceptionally rich in cultural heritage and ethnic traditions,” says Shirley R. Madigan, Illinois Arts Council Chairman. “Ethnic and Folk Arts Master Apprentice grants help to foster this learning arrangement and sustain the diversity of these traditional art forms.”

The deadline for applying to the FY13 Ethnic & Folk Arts Master Apprentice Program Â is October 15, 2012. The apprenticeship period will extend from mid-January through August 31, 2013. Guidelines and application materials can be downloaded from the Illinois Arts Council website: www.arts.illinois.gov/MAP. Application materials will not be mailed.

If you are interested in applying for a Master Apprentice grant, itâ€™s suggested that you register for one of two free application webinars being hosted by IAC Ethnic & Folk Arts Program Director, Susan Dickson.Â The webinar dates and registration links are listed below:

Another opportunity to prevent or reduce accidental contamination of streams, rivers and lakes by disposing of pharmaceuticals in an environmentally-friendly manner will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 29. For the fifth consecutive time, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) is joining the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take Back Day to collect unwanted medicine at three MWRD facilities:

The U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency started the organized prescription take back program in September, 2010, and since then, a nationwide total of 995,185 pounds (or 498.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications have been turned in and removed from circulation.

“Wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove pharmaceutical products if they are poured down a drain or flushed down a toilet,” said Commissioner Kathleen Meany, chair of the Public Information and Education Committee. “The chemicals can work their way into lakes or streams and harm fish and other aquatic life. These special collection opportunities provide residents with a convenient and environmentally-friendly way to properly dispose of expired or unwanted medications. I strongly encourage everyone to clean out their cabinets and bring their unwanted medicines to us on September 29th.”

Â CHICAGO, IL â€” Chicagoland residents are invited to enjoy the return of Open Streets, Chicagoâ€™s free pedestrian playground, on Saturday Sept. 8 in the Loop and Sunday Sept. 16 in Wicker Park/Bucktown from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Expanding to two events this year, Open Streets will close streets to car traffic and open them up for healthy recreation, including biking, running, yoga classes, skate parks, interactive playgrounds and climbing walls.During the five-hour event on Sept. 8, Chicago Loop Alliance, in partnership with Active Transportation Alliance (Active Trans), will transform 13 blocks in the Loop into the ultimate urban playground for all ages: State Street will be open to pedestrians from Lake Street to Van Buren Street, and Monroe Street will be open from State Street to Lake Shore Drive. On Sept. 16, the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and WPB SSA #33, together with Active Trans, will bring Open Streets to 15 blocks of Milwaukee Avenueâ€”from Division Street to Western Avenue. Visit www.openstreetschicago.org to learn more.Open Streets events create a safe public space in a car-free setting where communities can connect, families and friends can exercise and play, and businesses can engage with the public. The event is modeled after similar car-free events held in cities around the world, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Bogota, Colombia, which holds its iconic â€œCicloviaâ€ events every Sunday of the year.

â€œWe are looking forward to inviting people to the Loop once again to experience two of Chicagoâ€™s world-renowned destinationsâ€”State Street and Millennium Parkâ€”in a new way,â€ said Laura Jones, Interim Executive Director of Chicago Loop Alliance, service provider for State Street SSA #1.

â€œWe’re thrilled to bring Open Streets to Wicker Park and Bucktown,â€ said Adam Burck, Executive Director of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, service provider for WPB SSA #33. â€œThis event is a natural fit for our community that enthusiastically embraces alternative transportation initiatives. In fact, the community created a master plan in 2008 with goals that include creating bike boulevards and community bicycling events.â€

A sampling of the free recreational programming offered to the public at both Open Streets events includes:Â

Mobile skate park: While most public places prohibit skateboarding, Open Streets encourages people of all ages and ability levels to take lessons and watch professionals skate on this street course, which includes ramps and a half-pipe.

Imagination Playground: Children ages 3 and up can explore this award-winning, 500-square-foot movable playground that includes blocks, crates, carts, sand and water. This innovative playground design encourages children and their families to pursue healthy, safe, and educational play.

Climbing wall and slackline: A portable rock wall will allow participants to improve their climbing skills and a 20-foot slackline will test their balance. Pros will demonstrate their expertise on a 48-foot slackline.

Yoga classes: CorePower instructors will be on hand to lead participants through poses and breathing exercises. Stand like a tree, reach for the sun and feel the stress melt away. New classes start every hour.

Walgreens Way to Well Health: Take a free health test that measures 10 key indicators, including cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and weight.

People Jam: Chromatics: Enjoy eight different dance routines throughout the day choreographed specifically for Color Jam, the monumental art installation at Adams and State Streets. Mixed in with performances will be opportunities for observers to learn some new dance moves.

Games: Four square and relay races are no longer just for the school playground. Get involved in these childhood classics and try out some newer games, including human tic-tac-toe and slow bike racing.

People Spot: Grab a spot on one of our â€œpop-up lawnsâ€ in the middle of State Street. Read a book, watch the action or take a nap without the everyday traffic and noise.

â€œBuilding on last yearâ€™s great success of Open Streets on State Street, weâ€™re expecting two wonderful events that will be enjoyed by thousands of people,â€ said Active Trans Open Streets Director Julia Kim. â€œWeâ€™re encouraging people to ride bikes, take a stroll, and embrace the dramatic beauty of Chicago. Open Streets brings communities together to have fun and lead active lifestyles.â€

Event organizers are grateful to the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, Walgreens and REI for their generous support of Open Streets events.

Chicago Loop Alliance is a member-based civic organization that represents Chicagoâ€™s most dynamic mixed-use districtâ€”the Loopâ€”and advocates for the rapidly growing central business area. Chicago Loop Alliance, which is service provider for State Street SSA #1, is focused on promoting and uniting Loop businesses and organizations to support one another in creating a vibrant, flourishing Loop where people live, work and play. For more information, visit www.chicagoloopalliance.com.

The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce is a member-based organization that serves as a cornerstone of the Wicker Park and Bucktown commercial districts. The Chamber is the service provider for the WPB SSA #33. SSAs provide a fair and transparent way to finance and manage programs to create, maintain and manage clean, attractive and competitive commercial districts. For more information, visit www.wickerparkbucktown.com.

The Active Transportation Alliance (Active Trans) is an advocate for bicyclists, pedestrians and public transit riders in the Chicago region. Active Trans encourages transportation that promotes health, recreation, social interaction, equity, environmental stewardship and resource conservation. For more information about Active Trans, visit www.activetrans.org.

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — Acknowledging that education is the key to opportunity in America, a portion of virtually every dollar people spend can be converted into a scholarship fund to support Black Higher Education. The Educate Black America initiative uses cause marketing through online shopping from its web site, www.am-blk-coll.com, to sell the best products and services at the same prices found at other web sites with one important difference and advantage.

Every purchase from the Educate Black America Shopping site contributes to underwrite scholarships that include K-12, college, post secondary trade and career, distance learning, as well as management and professional studies.

Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, noted human and civil rights advocate, said as national spokesperson for Educate Black America that, “Educating Black America is something we must do, can do, and should do.”

If everybody does their part and their share, the TRILLION DOLLARS spent by consumers and businesses in Black America and other supporters of Black Higher Education can generate a $100 Million fund. The goal will be met if $1 out of every $10,000 spent can be leveraged through the Educate Black America initiative, according to Alvin J. Lee, founder and former Fortune 500 executive.

The program has been expanded with two new features, EBA Travel and Appleseed.

EBA Travel can handle all personal and business travel needs and converts a portion of travel expenses to scholarships when travel arrangements are made through the EBA Travel link on the Educate Black America home page. All EBA Travel arrangements are made through marketing partnerships with industry leading travel providers such as Expedia, Hotwire, Hotels.com, and Enterprise.

Appleseed is an exciting and innovative new development that makes it possible for people, businesses, organizations, and nonprofits to earn cash and scholarships. ABC Ventures is hiring marketing interns in local markets across the country to promote and support Educate Black America.

Supporters can keep current on Educate Black America through pages on Facebook, and Twitter. For more info, visit www.am-blk-coll.com

About ABC Ventures
ABC Ventures, a Baltimore, MD corporate development group is the management company for America’s Black Colleges Fund, Inc. The company, staffed by former Fortune 500 executives and managers, specializes in cause marketing initiatives that build corporate bottom line results and generate significant financial support of important social causes. In addition to the Educate Black America initiative, the company has developed Park Walk America, www.parkwalkamerica.com, to promote better health, better fitness, better parks, and a better environment. The funds generated from Park Walk America will be used to help America’s financially strapped parks and recreational areas.

Photo Caption: The late former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the national spokesperson for Educate Black America until her death in 2005.

CHICAGO, IL â€“ The eyes of the entertainment world will be on Chicago when the 48th Chicago International Film Festival opens with the World Premiere of the highly anticipated film â€œStand Up Guys.â€ Produced by Chicagoan Tom Rosenberg (Academy AwardÂ® winner, â€œMillion Dollar Babyâ€) and directed by Chicagoan Fisher Stevens (Academy Award Â® winner, â€œThe Coveâ€), the film features an all-star cast including Academy AwardÂ®-winners Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin and EmmyÂ® and Golden GlobeÂ®-winner Julianna Margulies, all of whom will be in Chicago to celebrate the opening night of the Festival on October 11 at the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph Dr.). Lionsgate will release â€œStand Up Guysâ€ for an OscarÂ®-qualifying run in Dec. in Los Angeles and New York, and nationwide on January 11.

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â€œBringing the World Premiere of â€˜Stand Up Guysâ€™ to Chicago is a tremendous honor,â€ said producer Tom Rosenberg. â€œAl Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin are a powerhouse trio on screen â€“ audiences are truly in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am grateful to my friend Michael Kutza for his kind invitation for all of us to be there opening night.â€

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â€œThis is without a doubt the most exciting opening night for the Chicago International Film Festival in many years,â€ said Michael Kutza, Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival. â€œTom Rosenberg has been a long friend of the Festival and we are honored that he and Lionsgate have chosen this yearâ€™s Festival for the world premiere of this extraordinary film, and for bringing to Chicago this extraordinary assemblage of film legends and luminaries, several of whom give award-worthy performances in this film.â€

â€œStand Up Guysâ€ stars Academy AwardÂ® winners Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin in a tough but touching action comedy as retired gangsters who reunite for one epic last night. Val (Pacino) is released from prison after serving twenty-eight years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc (Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two soon reteam with another old pal, Hirsch (Arkin). Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. And despite their age, their capacity for mayhem is still very much alive and well – bullets fly as they make a hilariously valiant effort to compensate for the decades of crime, drugs and sex theyâ€™ve missed. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret- heâ€™s been put in an impossible quandary by a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the sun rises on the guysâ€™ legendary reunion, their position becomes more and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for all.

Star-Studded Opening Night Ticket Information
Tickets for Opening Night of the 48th Chicago International Film Festival are on sale now and can be purchased online at the Festival Store: http://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/catalog/ or by phone at 312- 332-FILM. Film-only tickets are: Balcony, $35 for Cinema/Chicago members and $40 for non-members; Main Floor, $45 for Cinema/Chicago members and $50 for non-members. VIP Ticket packages including a main floor seat and admission to the after party at The Sidney Yates Gallery of The Chicago Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph St., 4th Floor) are priced at $150/ticket.
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New arts facility offers the public free classes of all shapes and sizes at the Fine Arts Building

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To introduce Chicago to the range of dance class offerings at the city’s newest collaborative dance/arts facility, the American Rhythm Center (ARC) will host “Dance Free 4 All,” two days of free classes in the newly renovated space on the third floor of the historic Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Avenue. The event takes place Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22.

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Both days will include free classes for all ability levels in a range of genres and styles, including tap, jazz, African, flamenco, Bollywood and classic Indian, swing, Latin, capoeira, tai chi and more. Teaching the classes will be professionals and young dancers representing ARC’s community partners and other affiliated groups, including Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s resident ensemble Â BAM!, Chicago Chinese Cultural Center, Â Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Giordano Dance Chicago, Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts and more. On Friday, the public also will be able to watch Giordano Dance Chicago in company class and rehearsal.

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ARC is Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s new collaborative initiative to provide a shared, affordable and sustainable education, rehearsal and administrative facility for several leading Chicago arts organizations. ARC officially opens with a full class schedule Monday, October 1. The aim is to offer diverse, high-quality dance and movement classes to the general public while centralizing the education programs, rehearsal space and administrative offices of several core groups, as well as additional emerging companies and independent artists.

â€œThe people we have chosen to honor this year all exemplify the power within each individual to effect change,â€ said Phillip Thomas, president of eta.Â â€œEach of them is using their particular discipline â€“ music, education, medicine, activism and theater to make a difference in their communities.â€ Â

Each of the honorees are examples of what it takes to â€œresurrect spirit and reclaim community.â€Â Â Activist Diane Latiker singlehandedly took the major step of opening her home to the young people in Roseland, offering them a safe haven and a sanctuary for mentoring.Â Community organizer Tio Hardiman took an award-winning program proven to reduce violence and expanded it, including piloting a highly specialized violence intervention program that mediates conflict on the â€œfront endâ€ instead of on the â€œback end.â€Â Educator Tim King challenged the status quo by creating all-male charter public high schools in Chicago that for two years straight have sent 100% of graduating classes to 4-year colleges or universities.Â

Dr. Doriane Miller, M.D. successfully used theater to address the issue of depression in youth due to exposure to violence, and solutions for healing.

Chicago Music Association, Branch #1 of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is being recognized for preserving all genres of the music of African Americans.

Â Held annually on the first Saturday after Labor Day, the festive gala features a silent auction, fine wine and champagne pull, a scrumptious soulful buffet catered by Fanfares by Faye, an open bar, dancing to live and recorded music, an array of live entertainment including Muntu Dance Theatre, Khalidahâ€™s North African Dance Experience, karaoke, â€œLand of 100 Dancesâ€ and more.Â The centerpiece of the evening is the presentation of awards.

Established in April 1971, eta Creative Arts Foundation is the first full cultural arts complex in the African American Community.Â Widely known as one of the cityâ€™s leading nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, etaâ€™s mission is to be a major cultural resource institution for the preservation, perpetuation and promulgation of the African American aesthetic nationwide.Â eta provides professional training and performance opportunities for youth and adults, artists and technicians; arts-in-education programs; a visual arts gallery for the display and sale of original artwork, and exposure for the general public to authentic valid projections of African American lifestyles, experiences and aspirations.

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